Can't get rid of my algae

[rusk1y1]

So I have a 90 gallon mixed reef tank that's about 2 years old and 2 months ago all this hair, and bubble algae started growing in my tank. I do 15 gallon water changes every week, I have a phosphate reactor running (I change the media once a month). I feed my tank once a day and drain the fish food. Checked my water multiple times and everything is on point. I've tried doing 25 gallon water changes and only running my lights for 6 hours a day for the past 2 weeks and its still expanding. I've never had this problem in any of my other tanks how can I get rid of this ugly algae?!

 

[joekool]

Got any tangs. Kole tangs and powder blues clean the rock pretty well

 

[rusk1y1]

I have a yellow tang, copperband, and a sea hare that I've noticed clean the rock..but it grows back slowly. Is there any fast and affective way to get rid of it without killing coral?

 

[rusk1y1]

I also have a lionfish, panther grouper, and puffer fish so I can't get any shrimp or other invertebrates

 

[tyler1503]

I'd say that's much too high of a bioload. Those panther groupers can be huge strains on filtration and grow insanely fast. Same, but to a lesser extend, are the puffers and lions.
What filtration do you have? Also, what sort of a CUC?

 

[rayn]

Carbon dosing for the hair algae. It will bring your nutrients levels down. For the bubble algae, just start picking and careful not to pop them.

 

[ebushrow]

There are obviously excess nutrients in the tank to sustain the algae growth. These may be hard to pinpoint due to the algae using the nitrates and phosphates. I'm not sure what testing kit you are using but a few points to check:

What water are you using ? RODI ? What is the TDS readings?
The nitrates cannot be 0 with that large of a bioload...take a water sample to your LFS and have it tested to make sure your test kit is accurate
Do you have a protein skimmer?
What kind of media are you using in your reactor?

 

[Banes]

What substrate do you have and do you siphon it? Sand can hold a lot of nutrients that you don't know about. Bubble algae is a different beast in itself. I've seen it grow like made when my calcium and all levels swing that alk gets real high. That's just my observation though.

 

[rusk1y1]

There are obviously excess nutrients in the tank to sustain the algae growth. These may be hard to pinpoint due to the algae using the nitrates and phosphates. I'm not sure what testing kit you are using but a few points to check:



What water are you using ? RODI ? What is the TDS readings?
The nitrates cannot be 0 with that large of a bioload...take a water sample to your LFS and have it tested to make sure your test kit is accurate
Do you have a protein skimmer?
What kind of media are you using in your reactor?

So, I'm running a reef octopus skimmer rated to 125 gallons, the media I'm using im the reactor is called chemi pure lowered nitrate, phosphates, and ammonia (I was recommended this product from the owner of a local fish store. I usually have the fish store do the water tests and I'm not sure what test kit he uses.
I use RODI water and pro salt. The salinity is at 1.022 - 1.023
I talked with a worker at vivid aquariums and he told me to try feeding every other day, doing big water changes, keep the salinity a bit low, and keep up on changing the media in the reactor

 

[rusk1y1]

I'd say that's much too high of a bioload. Those panther groupers can be huge strains on filtration and grow insanely fast. Same, but to a lesser extend, are the puffers and lions.
What filtration do you have? Also, what sort of a CUC?

The grouper in only about 2.5 inches long and my lionfish is also very small..I have a 20 gallon long sump with a small sand bed, live rock, reef octopus skimmer rated to 125 gallons, and a phosband reactor with chemi pure media.

 

[ebushrow]

Well, it sounds like things are on track then, do you have a tds meter for your RODI? There may be high impurities going out of the RODI...the chemipure is a good product...the large water changes will help as well.

I remember a thread here on r2r about hair algae problems using the Red Sea pro salt, however, I am not sure how it played out...might be worth a search...

the reduced feelings should also help....are you rinsing the food after it thaws in RODI? Might also help if you are not...

Another suggestion is to use Kent Tech M or fauna Marin algae X as a help ( I have used the algae x before and had good results) you may also be fighting a phosphate problem due to the rocks leaching it out...

do you have a refugium as part of the sump with the live rock and sanded? If so, do you have macro algae in it already? Your sand bed if not deep may also be harboring detritus ... If it is a 4-5" sand bed be careful and don't vacuum it. If it's shallow maybe remove it to eliminate possibilities.

Only other thing I can think of is if you are using any filter floss / pads / socks....might be creating a nitrate sink if not changed often enough...hope this helps..

One word of suggestion though *** only change 1 variable at a time ( with the exception of filter floss or socks) too many changes will make it hard to pinpoint the source of the problem and never seem to make fish or corals happy.

 

[rusk1y1]

Well, it sounds like things are on track then, do you have a tds meter for your RODI? There may be high impurities going out of the RODI...the chemipure is a good product...the large water changes will help as well.

I remember a thread here on r2r about hair algae problems using the Red Sea pro salt, however, I am not sure how it played out...might be worth a search...

the reduced feelings should also help....are you rinsing the food after it thaws in RODI? Might also help if you are not...

Another suggestion is to use Kent Tech M or fauna Marin algae X as a help ( I have used the algae x before and had good results) you may also be fighting a phosphate problem due to the rocks leaching it out...

do you have a refugium as part of the sump with the live rock and sanded? If so, do you have macro algae in it already? Your sand bed if not deep may also be harboring detritus ... If it is a 4-5" sand bed be careful and don't vacuum it. If it's shallow maybe remove it to eliminate possibilities.

Only other thing I can think of is if you are using any filter floss / pads / socks....might be creating a nitrate sink if not changed often enough...hope this helps..

One word of suggestion though *** only change 1 variable at a time ( with the exception of filter floss or socks) too many changes will make it hard to pinpoint the source of the problem and never seem to make fish or corals happy.

Okay I'll have to look into that algae X
As for feeding I have a small container that I fill up halfway with the water from the DT then once it thaws I strain the water into a bucket using a net. I also just dilated my skimmer to do a bit more of a wet skim to hopefully get more stuff out of the water. I don't have and filter socks, or macro algae but I'm planning on adding the algae here shortly. Just don't have the time right now to go to Lowe's and buy a cheap clip on grow light.
I'll keep doing what I've been doing for the past 2 weeks and I'll keep you guys posted on how it turns out in the next couple weeks

 

[rusk1y1]

Another thing I'm not sure if it would affect this algae problem but I noticed a dead spot in my tank that had zero flow so I installed another power head directly at the dead spot to make the stuff that was disintegrating get filtered out

 

[ebushrow]

Another thing I'm not sure if it would affect this algae problem but I noticed a dead spot in my tank that had zero flow so I installed another power head directly at the dead spot to make the stuff that was disintegrating get filtered out

This might help as well...as for the grow light, you can just get a painters clip on light and a higher power compact fluorescent to save some money when you go to get it.

 

[rusk1y1]

Another thing I'm not sure if it would affect this algae problem but I noticed a dead spot in my tank that had zero flow so I installed another power head directly at the dead spot to make the stuff that was disintegrating get filtered out

 

[Zacco]

Get some GFO running in a media reactor. I would also question your water source. Get a TDS Reading on your RO/DI. Are you making your own RO/DI or buying it? If buying it, demand to see the TDS reading on the RO/DI Unit they're using.